A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE

EFFECTIVENESS OF UTILIZING PREZI ON

TEACHING SIRAH AMONG MALAYSIAN

SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

BY

NORAZURA EZUANA BINTI MOHD NAJID

A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of requirement for the

degree of Master of Master of Education

(Teaching of Islamic Education)

Kulliyyah of Education

International Islamic University Malaysia

JANUARY 2017

ii

ABSTRACT

The employment of Prezi as a teaching aid in classroom has brought education into

one step higher from the conventional teaching method known as “chalk and talk” to a

more interactive and collaborative learning process. The aim of this study is to

investigate students‟ perception and interest in learning Sirah by utilizing Prezi as a

teaching aid. In addition, this study also aims to evaluate students‟ achievement in the

aforementioned subject in relation to the use of Prezi as a teaching aid. Furthermore,

this study also meant to probe the difference between male and female students‟

perceptions towards the use of Prezi in learning Sirah. A total of 48 students from

SMK Taman Keramat, Kuala Lumpur were involved in this study. 24 participants

were selected from Form 2 Bestari and another 24 participants from Form 2 Cerdas.

The study employed quasi-experimental design with both control and experimental

group. Participants undergo pre and post-test in order to compare the statistical

difference before and after Prezi implementation in the class sessions. Descriptive

analysis was carried out to address the research objective of this particular study. The

data were computed into SPSS 21 and independent T-test and paired T-test were

generated to answer the research questions. The study has proven that students have

high level of perception (Mean = 3.07, Std. Deviation= 0.93) and interest (Mean =

2.95, Std. Deviation = 0.7) in learning Sirah through the means of Prezi. The study

also found that there was no significant difference between gender in regards to

students‟ interest in learning under Prezi‟s environment. Furthermore, the result

obtained also illustrated that there was a significant difference between post-test

(control group) (Mean = 26.25, Std. Deviation = 11.39) and post-test (experiment

group) (Mean = 42.54, Std. Deviation = 5.06) with the p< 0.05 in regards to the

achievement scores. Thus, the use of Prezi in learning Sirah has been proven

significant based on the post test result after the implementation of Prezi in the

classroom. It was suggested that, the teachers should be encouraged to employ the use

of suitable technology in their teaching and learning process, for instance, through the

application of multimedia presentation, which is in this context, Prezi.

iii

البحث ملخصABSTRACT IN ARABIC

أصبح وسيلةً من وسائل التّعليم الحديثة التي تساعد المعلّم في عمليةّ (Prezi) إنّ برنامج "بريزي" وأكثر تفاعلا من عمليّة التَعليم والتعلّم بالطرّيقة اعامتإ أكثر التّعليم والتعلّم، لتكون ىذه العمليّة

الطّلاب في تعلّم السيرة تصورالتّقليديةّ. تهدف ىذه الدّراسة إلى الأىداف الآتية؛ أولا، معرفة الدراسة إلى تقييم تهدف ضافة إلى ذلك، لإباستخدام برنامج "بريزي" كأداة مساعدة في التعليم. با

السيرة باستخدام برنامج "بريزي"، والتحقيق في الفرق بين تصورات تحصيل الطّلاب في تعلّم شملتالطلاب الذكور والإناث نحو استخدام برزي في تعلّم السيرة. شارك في ىذه الدّراسة عينّة

من السّنة الثاّنية بالمدرسة الوطنيّة الثاّنوية "تامن كرامت" كوالالمبور. حيث تكونت العينة اطالب 84 ةالباحث تاستخدم ."شيرداس" في السنة الثانية اطالب 48و "ريابيست"في السنة الثانية اطالب 48من

التصميم شبو التجريبي الذي يتكون من المجموعة الضابطة والمجموعة التجريبية. خضع المشاركون إلى برنامج وذلك لمقارنة الفرق الإحصائي قبل وبعد إستخدام ،الاختبار القبلي والاختبار البعدي

تم إدخال و ىداف ىذه الدراسة. أتم إجراء التحليل الوصفي لتحقق من قد . الصف داخل"بريزي" المستقل (T-test) اختبار تتم تطبيق كذلك ، و 42النسخة SPSSالبيانات في برنامج الاحصاء

ىداف البحث. ووجدت الدّراسة أن الطّلاب ألتحقيق (Paired T-test) واختبار ت المقتًن= متوسط )والرغبة (0.7.= ، الانحراف المعياري 70.3= المتوسط)لديهم مستوى عال من التصور

في تعلّم السيرة. وتظهر الدراسة أيضا أنو لا يوجد أي فرق (03.= ، الانحراف المعياري 50.2الطّلاب والطاّلبات نحو تصورىم في التعلّم تحت بيئة برنامج "بريزي". وتبين نتيجة بين واضح

، 42.42= الدراسة أن ىناك فرق واضح بين الاختبار البعدي للمجموعة الضابطة )المتوسط (2..2= ، الانحراف المعياري 84.28= متوسط )( والمجموعة التجريبية 22.11= الانحراف المعياري

صيل الطلاب. وىكذا، فقد ثبت وجود تحسّن واضح في فيما يخص نتائج تح p <...2مع قيمة درجات الاختبار البعدي في تعلّم السيرة بعد استخدام برنامج "بريزي" في الفصول الدراسية.

في التدريس التكنولوجية المناسبة والملائمةتشجيع المعلمين على توظيف أن يتمواقتًحت الباحثة ."بريزي" برنامج والتى من بينهاعلى سبيل المثال من خلال عرض الوسائط المتعددة ،وعملية التعلم

iv

APPROVAL PAGE

I certify that I have supervised and read this study and that in my opinion; it conforms

to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and

quality, as a dissertation for the degree of Master of Education (Teaching of Islamic

Education).

……………………………………..

Muhamad Zahiri Awang Mat

Supervisor

I certify that I have read this study and that in my opinion it conforms to acceptable

standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a

dissertation for the degree of Master of Education (Teaching of Islamic Education).

……………………………………..

Kamal J I Badrasawi

Examiner

This dissertation was submitted to the Department Curriculum and Instructional

Technology and is accepted as a fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master

of Education (Teaching of Islamic Education).

……………………………………..

Tahraoui Ramdane

Head, Department Curriculum and

Instructional Technology

This dissertation was submitted to the Kulliyyah of Education and is accepted as a

fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Education (Teaching of

Islamic Education).

……………………………………..

Nik Ahmad Hisham Ismail

Dean, Kulliyyah of Education

v

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this dissertation is the result of my own investigation, except

where otherwise stated. I also declare that it has not been previously or concurrently

submitted as a whole for any other degrees at IIUM or other institutions.

Norazura Ezuana Binti Mohd Najid

Signature…………………....………. Date …….……………….

vi

COPYRIGHT

INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA

DECLARATION OF COPYRIGHT AND AFFIRMATION OF

FAIR USE OF UNPUBLISHED RESEARCH

A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS

OF UTILIZING PREZI ON TEACHING SIRAH AMONG

MALAYSIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

I declare that the copyright holder of this dissertation are jointly owned by the

student and IIUM.

Copyright © 2017 Norazura Ezuana Binti Mohd Najid and International Islamic University Malaysia.

All rights reserved.

No part of this unpublished research may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,

recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder

except as provided below

1. Any material contained in or derived from this unpublished research may

be used by others in their writing with due acknowledgement.

2. IIUM or its library will have the right to make and transmit copies (print

or electronic) for institutional and academic purposes.

3. The IIUM library will have the right to make, store in a retrieved system

and supply copies of this unpublished research if requested by other

universities and research libraries.

By signing this form, I acknowledged that I have read and understand the IIUM

Intellectual Property Right and Commercialization policy.

Affirmed by Norazura Ezuana Binti Mohd Najid

……..…………………….. ………………………..

Signature Date

vii

DEDICATION

This dissertation is dedicated to my precious family:

My beloved husband, mother and father

My sisters

My brothers

My Supportive friends

Mohammad Shukri Bin Mohammad Noordin, Mohamed Najid Bin Kausar, Norma

Binti Husain, Siti Nazifah Binti Mohd Najid, Normala Binti Mohd Najid

Arisha Solehah Binti Mohammad Shukri

Ahmad Solehin Bin Mohammad Shukri

Adelya Syaira Binti Mohammad Shukri

Siti Salwa Sawari

Azlina Binti Mustafa

Jafar Poovathani

Nadia Bt Endut @ Abdul Razak

Syaza Hazirah Binti Mohd Hashim

Basyirah Binti Ghazali

Ratinah Marusin

Najihah binti Abdullah

Who give me strength

Who provide unswering supports and doa’

Your heartiness, love and understanding are irreplaceable

viii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful first and foremost, my heartfelt

gratefulness goes to the Almighty, the One who has answered my prayers in many

ways and blessed me with the abilities which have enabled me to achieve this success.

I would also like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Assoc. Prof Dr. Muhamad

Zahiri Awang Mat, whose patience and guidance, and understanding had been the

source of my inspiration for this dissertation. This research would have been

impossible without his help, concern and consistent encouragement. I also would like

to express my gratitude and appreciation to all lectures, academic staff of Kulliyyah of

Education for their kindness and willingness to guide me through my Master

programme. Not forgotten thousands of thank you and appreciations to my parents

Mohamed Najid Bin Kausar and Norma Binti Husain. Last but not least, I wish to

express my enormous gratitude to my beloved husband, Mohammad Shukri Bin

Mohamad Noordin for his love and unstinting support and continuous prayers. To my

beloved children – Arisha Solehah, Ahmad Solehin, and Adelya Syaira, you are my

constant source of happiness. And to both my parents and parent-in-laws and siblings,

your support and understanding have provided me with the strength that I need to see

this through.

ix

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract ........................................................................................................................ ii Abstract in Arabic ........................................................................................................ iii Approval Page .............................................................................................................. iv

Declaration ................................................................................................................... v Copyright ..................................................................................................................... vi Dedication .................................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... viii List of Tables ............................................................................................................... xii

List of Figures .............................................................................................................. xiii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Background of the Study ............................................................................ 1 1.3 Statement of the Problem............................................................................ 5 1.4 Objective of the Study ................................................................................ 8

1.5 Research Questions and Hyphoteses .......................................................... 8 1.6 Research Hyphoteses .................................................................................. 9

1.7 Significance of the Study ............................................................................ 9 1.8 Limitations of Study ................................................................................... 10 1.9 Definition of Terms .................................................................................... 10

1.9.1 Prezi Presentation Software .............................................................. 10 1.9.2 Teaching Effectiveness ..................................................................... 11

1.9.3 Students‟ Perception ......................................................................... 11 1.9.4 Students‟ Interest............................................................................... 12

1.9.5 Students‟ Achievement ..................................................................... 12

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................ 13 2.1 Introduction................................................................................................. 13

2.2 Overview of Prezi ....................................................................................... 13 2.3 The Usage of Multimedia Instruction in Education ................................... 15 2.4 Multimedia Instruction and Students‟ Achievement .................................. 17

2.5 Student‟s Interest ........................................................................................ 20 2.6 Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) ....................... 23

2.7 Student-Centered Learning ......................................................................... 26 2.8 Roles of Teachers and Students .................................................................. 28

2.9 Pertinent Studies Related to Prezi............................................................... 28 2.10 Prezi in Teaching Sirah ............................................................................ 30 2.11 Summary ................................................................................................... 32

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ............................................................... 33 3.1 Introduction................................................................................................. 33 3.2 Research Design ......................................................................................... 33 3.3 Subjects of the Study .................................................................................. 35 3.4 Sirah Component Within Islamic Education Study .................................... 36 3.5 Prezi Presentation Software ........................................................................ 37

x

3.6 Quasi-Experimental Procedures ................................................................. 39

3.7 Instrumentation ........................................................................................... 45 3.7.1 Development of Questionnaire Instrument ....................................... 45

3.7.1.1 Item Modification. ................................................................ 46 3.7.1.2 Content Validation Process .................................................. 47 3.7.1.3 Pilot Study ............................................................................ 48

3.7.2 Final Instrument ................................................................................ 48 3.7.3 Development of Pre-test and Post-test Instrument ............................ 49

3.7.3.1 Validity Procedure of Pre and Post-test ................................ 49 3.7.3.2 Pre-test .................................................................................. 49 3.7.3.3 Treatment .............................................................................. 50 3.7.3.4 Post-test ................................................................................ 51

3.8 Data Analysis .............................................................................................. 52

3.9 Summary ..................................................................................................... 54

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULT ....................................... 55 4.1 Introduction................................................................................................. 55 4.2 Demographic of the Study .......................................................................... 56 4.3 Results of the Study .................................................................................... 57

4.3.1 Students‟ Perception toward using Prezi in Learning Sirah ............. 57 4.3.2 Students‟ Interest toward using Prezi in Learning Sirah .................. 60

4.3.3 Comparison of Interest Mean Scores toward the Use of Prezi in

Learning Sirah According to Gender ............................................... 63 4.3.4 Comparison of Mean Scores on Students‟ Achievement in

Experimental and Control group ...................................................... 64 4.3.5 The Impact of Prezi on Students‟ Academic Achievement in

Learning Sirah. ................................................................................. 65

4.4 Summary ..................................................................................................... 66

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, SUMMARY AND

RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................... 67 5.1 Introduction................................................................................................. 67

5.2 Discussion ................................................................................................... 68 5.2.1 Students‟ Perception toward Using Prezi in Learning Sirah ............ 68 5.2.2 Students‟ Interest toward Using Prezi in Learning Sirah ................. 69 5.2.3 Comparison of Interest Mean Scores toward The Use of Prezi in

Learning Sirah According to Gender ............................................... 70

5.2.4 Comparison of Mean Scores on Students‟ Achievement between

Experiment and Control Group ........................................................ 70

5.2.5 The Effectiveness of Prezi in Learning Sirah in Improving

Students Achievement. ..................................................................... 71 5.3 Recommendations for Practice ................................................................... 72

5.3.1 Teacher .............................................................................................. 72 5.3.2 Administration .................................................................................. 73

5.4 Recommendations for Future Research ...................................................... 73 5.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................. 74

BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................... 75

xi

APPENDIX A: PERMISSION LETTER FOR DATA COLLECTION .......... 83

APPENDIX B: PERMISSION LETTER TO CONDUCT RESEARCH ......... 84

APPENDIX C: LETTER OF APPROVAL FROM MINISTRY OF

EDUCATION TO CONDUCT A RESEARCH ....................... 85 APPENDIX D: LETTER OF APPROVAL FROM STATE

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO CONDUCT A

RESEARCH ................................................................................. 86

APPENDIX E: QUESTIONNAIRE ..................................................................... 87 APPENDIX F: PRE-TEST ................................................................................... 91 APPENDIX G: POST-TEST ................................................................................. 94 APPENDIX H: PRE-TEST (ENGLISH VERSION) .......................................... 98

xii

LIST OF TABLES

Table ‎2.1 Multimedia Enhances Retention in Learning 16

Table ‎2.2 Association of Gagne‟s Events and Internal Mental Process 26

Table ‎3.1 Subjects of The Study 35

Table ‎3.2 Class Schedule of 2 Bestari 42

Table ‎3.3 Class Schedule of 2 Cerdas 44

Table ‎3.4 Construct Elaboration and Scale 46

Table ‎3.5 Content Validity Process 47

Table ‎3.6 Data Analysis Procedure 53

Table ‎4.1 Division of Subjects According to Gender (n=48) 56

Table ‎4.2 Students‟ Perception Towards Learning Sirah Using Prezi 58

Table ‎4.3 Students‟ Perception Towards Learning Sirah Using Prezi in

Ranging Order 59

Table ‎4.4 Overall Students‟ Perception towards Learning Sirah Using Prezi 60

Table ‎4.5 Students‟ Interest in Learning Sirah 62

Table ‎4.6 Students‟ Interest in Learning Sirah Using Prezi in Ranging Order 63

Table ‎4.7 Difference in Interest Between Male and Female Students in

Learning Sirah 63

Table ‎4.8 Comparison of Achievement Mean Scores Between Control and

Experimental Group 64

Table ‎4.9 The Differences in Mean Scores Before and After The

Implementation of Prezi in Learning Sirah 65

xiii

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure ‎2.1 Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) Model 25

Figure ‎3.1 General Overview About Topic „The Building of Mosque‟ 37

Figure ‎3.2 The Process of Zooming From World Map to Saudi Arabia 38

Figure ‎3.3 The Notes and Information From The Topic 38

Figure ‎3.4 The Overview Materials for Mosque Constructions 39

Figure ‎3.5 Quasi Experimental Design 40

Figure ‎3.6 The Framework for The Research Design and Procedures 51

1

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter elaborates and introduces the reader on the utilization of Prezi in teaching

Islamic Education among Form 2 students. The outline of this chapter includes

background of the study, statement of problem, objectives of this study, research

questions and hypotheses, followed up by the significance and limitations of the study.

This chapter ends with the terms related to this research and relevant operational

definitions.

1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The way we manipulate learning tools, formal or informal, has gone over several

changes in line with advance technology around people. Begin with the use of rock,

chalk, then changing to marker pens before the use of laptop and projector. Now,

teachers can utilize the use of smartphones in the classroom, and this has further given

the evidence on the revolution of learning tools around us. The technologies of each

era have continued to influence the way learning should be. Therefore, education is

always advancing in accordance to the latest technology. This is why a

transformational shift in the way we view the curriculum should be regarded as an

important aspect of education so as to facilitate the ever-changing learner‟s interest

and education role in our life.

Learning instruction through technology in reality is not a new thing.

Advancement of technology in each era has influenced the trend in education which

later change the way student learns and how learning instruction should be (Jackson

2

2014; Fatimah Puteh & Siti Shuhaida Syukur 2009; Lengel, 2005; Center for Digital

Education, 2004). As of the 21st century, the advancement of the internet specifically

has made information available around us to be more accessible and transmittable

(Lim, Agostinho, Harper, Chicharo, 2013). No longer there will be a need to scour the

library or travel for a long time for the learners to quench their thirst for knowledge.

The technology available nowadays is more than capable in helping the learners in

their quest for learning as the information is now available at the tip of their fingers.

Accordingly, technology needs to be used wisely for it to be beneficial

especially to our students. The application of suitable technology in school should be

pioneered by the teachers themselves. This is to provide appropriate guidelines and

role models for the student whenever they decide to venture into this borderless world

of information. In order to achieve this goal, teachers should take the initiative in

using technology as part of their instruction. Furthermore, student nowadays is more

than capable in operating the latest technology in their life. By changing the

conventional approach in the teaching instruction, teachers will not only be able to

illustrate their knowledge interactively, but also help the student to learn the right way

in operating the latest technology in their lives. Lubis, Lampoh, Yunus, Shahar,

Ishak, and Muhammad (2011) also stressed that the usage of multimedia instruction in

the teaching makes learning process becomes more understandable, therefore assisting

the student in gaining learning experiences and achievement which can further be

applied in their daily life.

Apart from that, compared to the traditional “chalk and talk”, multimedia

instruction affordances are capable in supplying info with various learning styles

through multiple channels. This can help the student to integrate and apply the

information accordingly. Research in learning styles shows that students learn better

3

through specific modalities such as audio or visual (Leow & Noe, 2014; Tennent,

2003; Doolan & Honigsfeld, 2000; Shih, 1999). In other words, one student may be

an audio learner and benefit the most when instruction is delivered through audio or

narrations; another student may be a visual learner and benefit the most when

information is conveyed through pictures and texts. This is in line with Gagne (1999)

multiple intelligence which concludes, that different students have different

intelligence, which further influenced the way they learned. Therefore, the means of

multimedia applications should be able to provide students with multimodal

approaches which allow them to learn according to their preference learning style.

Multimedia instruction should be considered as an important tool in

revitalizing the traditional learning. The same goes to the teaching of Islamic

Education. Over the past decade, it has been shown that the teachings of Islamic

Education were mostly done through “chalk and talk” as well as memorization

(Azmil, Ab. Halim and Mohd Aderi, 2014). This kind of environment is slowly

draining students‟ interest and motivation as they are required to sit and listen instead

of actively participating in their learning. Therefore, in line with the latest technology,

teacher should personalize the lesson in order to make it more appealing (Che Noraini

Hashim & Hasan Langgulung, 2008, Damodharan & Rengarajan, 2007) and

competitive and thus providing meaningful and fun learning for the students. For that

reason, multimedia instruction should be considered as one of the ways in

accommodating these 21st century students‟ interest in learning by making the lesson

more interactive and enjoyable (Noor, Wan and Jusoff, 2009).

Despite the advantages of multimedia instruction, there are several issues that

need to be addressed to guarantee a smooth utilization of the said technology. While it

was considered to be cutting-edge and popular at one point of times among the

4

educators around the world, presentation software such as PowerPoint style has turn

lackluster as of nowadays (Parks, 2012). Comment from students, which include

statements such as “Not another boring PowerPoint presentation”, clearly shows that

the affordances of PowerPoint have made students less interested and excited in

learning. Students are looking for something which is more up-to-date, sophisticated

and interactive which includes movement and motion instead of static text and

information (Strasser, 2014).

Furthermore, the lacks of technology skills among teachers lead to a dreary

and boring multimedia instruction. Teachers tend to put as much information as they

can into one slide which makes it become redundant and monotonous. They read from

the screen and make the students listen to them which are technically under no

circumstances different from the traditional chalk-and-talk method. Students are

becoming restless, and the class is turning into a passive learning experience instead

of an active one. This negates the abilities of multimedia instruction in motivating the

student to learn. Therefore, it is important for the educators to equip themselves with

necessary technological skills in order to cater to the dynamic needs (Wan Noor

Hazlina & Kamaruzzaman Jusoff, 2009) of the student, thus enhance the holistic

learning experiences in the classroom.

This clearly calls for alternative multimedia instruction in teaching. For once,

we should address the issue of the unexciting usage of presentation software. Teachers

should look for other alternatives in order to compensate the weaknesses of

presentation software which are too rigid and static. One of the options that we should

look out for is the cloud-based presentation software known as Prezi. This visual-

oriented software can be used to enhance distribution of knowledge or information

among its users. This software allows teacher to store her presentations in the cloud

5

storage thus enabling the student to access it anytime from anywhere. This can

promote self-regulated learning among the students. Furthermore, Prezi also offers

simultaneous editing of the presentation which calls for a collaborative work among

the student thus encouraging active learning.

Hence, there is a need for an educational research in order to investigate the

significant use of the multimedia tool, namely Prezi in improving students‟ motivation

and achievement in learning Islamic education. Compared to the 20th

century

generation, this 21st

century students and media devices are known to be compatible

and the students themselves demand the use of technology in their education (Yong,

Su Na, Yu Beng, Japang, 2012). Therefore, it is important for the educators to include

technology into lesson (Shelly, Cashman, Gunter, 2006). Consequently, by the

means of Prezi as a teaching aid, hopefully, teacher would be able to provide realistic

and relevant learning experiences for the students in line with their interest and needs.

1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

A study conducted by Ab. Halim (2000) related to teaching moral values among Form

4 students in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan detected several problems in lessons

delivered by the Islamic education teachers. Based on the interviews conducted with

27 students, 8 of them faced some learning problems. Result from that study has

identified factors that lead to lower achievement among the students which are; i) they

could not understand what they had learned due to insufficient and vague explanations

from the teacher; ii) they were unable to relate what they had learned with the

practices in their everyday lives; and iii) they were drowsy, being unable to focus and

tired of the lectures.

6

Previous research by Rozita, Ezad, Norshahidah and Nurliyana (2011) showed

that there were numbers of religious teachers that are not capable of handling the

usage of technology in the classroom environment. There were lacks of training

among the Islamic Education teachers especially on the integration of technology

within the subject content. Due to the above reason, many of them feel more

comfortable in applying the traditional lecture method through the use of book and

paper-based materials rather than using presentation software. Most of them used

different methods of teaching such as through lectures, storytelling and cooperative

learning. Apart from the above methods, discussions, groups presentation and play

activities were among other popular activities carried out by the Islamic Education

teacher in delivering the lessons to their students. Generally, they did not practice the

„student-centred approach. Also, most of them were not using multimedia

instructional technology to enhance teaching and learning process of Islamic

education. According to the students, very few of their Islamic education teachers

made an effort to use multimedia presentations or audio visual materials when

teaching the subject. They were rarely brought to the school resource centre which had

these facilities (Mustafa and Salim, 2012).

Studies conducted in several states in Malaysia in 2004 showed that Islamic

Education teacher prefers lectures in comparison to other teaching method (Kamarul

Azmi, Mohd Faeez and Ab. Halim Tamuri, 2011). Furthermore, there are many who

favour passive teaching method over the active one. These are due to the lack of

exposure to the current teaching method, teachers reluctance in changing their

methods as well as the technological literacy among the teacher (Othman & Baki,

2004). Therefore, there is a need for the teachers‟ readiness in accepting the changes

in order to tackle the lack of technological use in the classroom from its roots. This is

7

because the quality of education attained by students depends on the quality of the

teachers who are playing roles in implementing the curriculum. So, it is wise for the

current study to investigate the role of teachers in applying their instruction in order to

further improve the quality of the current student in overall.

The Malaysian government is now in a bid to uphold the country's education

by introducing virtual learning environment in schools which is also known as VLE

Frog. (www.emoe.gov.my). Learning is no longer restricted in the classroom

environment. Despite the vision of the Ministry of Education towards a more

technical-enhance learning, teachers are still stuck in the conventional method in

teaching Islamic Education. In a study conducted by Lubis (2011), it was concluded

that two most popular practised methods among Islamic Education teachers were

memorization and lectures via textbook. This teacher-centred method which focused

much on lecturing and reading cause some dissatisfaction among students due to the

monotonous and repetitious lesson. Islamic Education teachers should work together

to revolutionise the teaching methods in order to increase student motivation to learn.

Students sometimes look down on teachers for being obsolete and old fashioned, thus,

the use of multimedia instruction should be able to give teachers confidence (Ahamad

Asmadi Sakat, Zaid, Zin., Rusli, Anzaruddin, Nurfahiratul and Arip, 2012) in

classroom.

To date, limited study has been done on the capabilities of Prezi especially

concerning the pedagogical approaches. Therefore, a study focusing on the

effectiveness of Prezi as a teaching aid within Islamic Education classroom is deemed

important to further motivate teachers in utilizing the multimedia instruction in their

teaching instruction. On top of that, the research also serves to verify the

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effectiveness of Prezi, in promoting not only interesting visualization, but also

stimulating the creative and critical thinking for the learners.

1.4 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

This research is an attempt to examine the effectiveness of Prezi in teaching Sirah

component among Malaysians secondary students, and in particularly the topic of

Sirah as the subject of the study. The present study is undertaken with the following

objectives:

1) To identify the perception of Form 2 students at SMK Taman Keramat,

Kuala Lumpur toward the usage of Prezi in learning Sirah.

2) To examine the levels of students‟ interest in learning Sirah by utilizing

Prezi as a teaching aid.

3) To examine if there is a significant difference in the interest mean scores

for male and female students‟ in using Prezi in learning Sirah.

4) To find out if there is a significant difference in the mean scores of

students‟ academic achievement in Sirah for the control group and the

experimental group.

5) To assess if using Prezi have an impact on students‟ academic

achievement in learning Sirah.

1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND HYPHOTESES

The study attempts to address the following questions:

1) What is the perception of Form 2 students at SMK Taman Keramat, Kuala

Lumpur toward the usage of Prezi in learning Sirah?

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2) What are the levels of students‟ interest in learning Sirah by utilizing Prezi

as a teaching aid?

3) Is there a significant difference in the interest mean scores for male and

female students‟ in using Prezi in learning Sirah?

4) Is there a significant difference in the mean scores of students‟ academic

achievement in Sirah for the control group and the experimental group?

5) Does using Prezi have an impact on students‟ academic achievement in

learning Sirah?

1.6 RESEARCH HYPHOTESES

1) H03: There is no statistically significant difference between male and

female students‟ interest mean scores in using Prezi in learning Sirah.

2) H04: There is no statistically significant difference in the mean scores of

students‟ academic achievement for the control group and the

experimental group.

3) H05: There is no statistically difference in the students‟ mean scores of

academic achievement in learning Sirah due to using Prezi.

1.7 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Hopefully the results would become a reference material to Islamic Education

teachers in general as well as the Islamic education department in the Ministry in

order to further develop the Islamic Education in school. The Islamic Education

Division can use the results to propogate Prezi as one of the teaching aids among

Islamic Education teachers to disseminate knowledge to the students effectively. This

will hopefully be able to change students‟ perspective towards the subject. This study

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should be considered as one of the ways to transform teaching Islamic Education to be

more meaningful, interactive, as well as enjoyable for both students and teachers.

This study aims to help the Bahagian Teknologi Pendidikan (BTP) of the

Malaysia Ministry of Education in developing a variety of teaching methods by

incorporating new tools and strategies in the classroom. This study would also

contribute to the innovative approaches of Islamic Education.

Additionally, this study will also provide opportunity to the teachers with a

choice of using several multimedia instructions in order to innovate the education in

Malaysia parallel with the revised Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013-2025). The

aforementioned blueprint encourages the integration of technology and multimedia in

teaching and learning in the classroom. (www.emoe.gov.my)

1.8 LIMITATIONS OF STUDY

This study focuses on the secondary school and limited to 48 samples that come from

Form 2 Bestari and 2 Cerdas at SMK Taman Keramat, Kuala Lumpur. The

concentration is also limited to Form 2 students from the school who took Islamic

Education subject. Moreover, this study anticipated to understand the feature of Prezi

only in the teaching of the Sirah.

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

1.9.1 Prezi Presentation Software

Prezi, which is launched in April 2009, is a zooming editor tool which provides

unique presentation experience (Prezi.com) in promoting learning in the classroom

(Conboy, Fletcher, Russell, & Wilson, 2012). Prezi has been promoted as a creative

tool which can help teachers in introducing exciting activities and can be used to

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attract students‟ attention. This can be done by zooming into the main idea before

giving the full explanation (Barlow, 2011).

In this study, the researcher will focus on the integration of Prezi in teaching

Islamic Education subject in order to comprehend the students‟ perception, interest,

and achievement in the classroom. Teaching Sirah will be the focus of the study.

1.9.2 Teaching Effectiveness

Effectiveness is a measure of a quality in completing a task which is too complex to

be definable and difficult to be measured. However, there are many factors that can

contribute to the effectiveness of teaching method. In education, the effectiveness of

teaching method can be measured by students‟ achievements (Hill, Rowan and Ball,

2005).

Operationally, teaching effectiveness is measured as per the levels of

agreement between the instructors and the students regarding to the specific

instructional behaviour throughout the learning instructions. This indicates that

learning domain is closely influence by the effectiveness of teacher‟s instruction (Avi-

Itzhak, 1982). The effectiveness of Prezi in the Islamic Education classroom will be

examined by comparing the post test result obtained from control and experimental

group.

1.9.3 Students’ Perception

Students‟ perception refers to the ability of the students to understand the action of the

mind (Webster, 1989) particularly the comprehension of the learning process (Bisaso,

2010). In this study, it refers to the students‟ comprehension based on their

understanding and experiences in learning Sirah through the means of Prezi.